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Southern Strategy Group - page 4

With more than a decade of public service experience, insurance regulation expert Monte Stevens is now moving to the private sector, joining Southern Strategy Group (SSG) as a lobbyist. SSG, one of the largest advocacy firms in the South, is adding Stevens to its roster of leading Tallahassee power players, who represent a broad range of industries and interests. Stevens brings with him a wealth of knowledge in all things insurance, refined over years at the Florida Capitol and Adams…

Last year, Southern Strategy Group picked up former Florida House Appropriations Chairman Seth McKeel, and he has been busily building a powerful lobbying presence in the lucrative Tampa Bay market. SSG’s Georgia office apparently took note, because this week its Atlanta-based office announced it is hiring longtime Georgia lawmaker and former House Appropriations Chairman Ben Harbin. After serving 21 years, Harbin is stepping down from his seat in the Georgia Legislature to take a job with the South’s largest network of lobbying offices.…

Registered governmental affairs firms, representing virtually every industry in Florida, reported earning slightly more than $35 million from January 1 to March 31 of this year to lobby the Florida Legislature. FloridaPolitics.com previously reported which firms made what, with Southern Strategy Group leading all firms with $2.25 million in Q1 compensation. Crunching the numbers, here are a few additional thoughts on the first-quarter numbers. (None of these numbers include compensation for executive branch lobbying, which can be just as lucrative for a firm.…

Southern Strategy Group led all firms in compensation for lobbying the Florida Legislature during the first quarter of 2015, hauling in $2.25 million, according to recently released lobbying compensation figures. Registered lobbying firms, representing virtually every industry sector in Florida, reported earning slightly more than $35 million from January to March of this year. That figure represents an lobbying industry-wide uptick of nearly 17 percent over the same period last year, when firms took home roughly $30 million collectively. SSG stood alone in…

Amid the early skirmishes of the 2015 legislative session, an unexpected upset occurred last week when a bill died in its first committee of reference. The fact the bill died is not entirely surprising, especially in light of the policy in the bill. In fact, that the bill was even being considered is a testament to the incredible effort of its proponents. This is the third year in a row the bill was being considered, and it had every political advantage…

Three of Florida’s creative and advocacy leaders are asking the public to determine which of five worthy causes will win a stronger voice in Tallahassee. Open voting has begun today in the inaugural Cause + Effect campaign, where one Orlando-area nonprofit will win $20,000 in free infographics, advocacy and marketing The trio of companies are Bubbled.it, which specializes in infographics, known also as “issue visualization”; Prismatic, the Orlando-based branding and advertising group formerly known as FDG Creative; and Southern Strategy Group, Florida’s…